Their traditional occupations include carpentry, smithery, peddling, manufacturing and selling domestic goods, writing prayers, and dealing with livestock.
The sieve-makers are known as Ghalbelbaf and Chighalbaf in Afghanistan, Kalbilbof in Tajikistan, and Ghirbalband in Iran.
Overall, they were Afghan citizens; they held ID cards and were conscripted, unlike the related Mugat "Jogi" community.
[3] The Ghorbati have mainly been confused with the Dom people because the latter are known as Qurbat or Kurbat (Arabic: قرباط/كربات), which is an entirely different name that appears similar to Ghorbat (Persian: غربت).
However, this is cognate with the Romani name Gurbeti, but there is no proof of any historical connection between these groups, and the Ghorbati are believed to be nomads who move eastwards rather than being of Indian origin like the Koli, Roma and Dom.